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As I’ve promised some of our readers, I will try to cover as much of the Space X launches, as often as possible!

For those of you who are not as familiar with Space X, Space X designs, manufacturers and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. It was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology by Elon Musk, with the ultimate goal of enabling human/earthlings to live on other planets.

For my solar and sustainable living friends, yes, I believe one of the components of sustainability of earthlings is space exploration. So, I also have friends and readers from this area and intend to also cover news and information about our space travel, space technology, and inter-galatic intrigues.Space X launched the delivery mission on Monday, August 14, 2017, on a Falcon 9 rocket. The CRS-12 Dragon spacecraft was launched by a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Monday, August 14, 2017, at 12:31 EDT (16:31 UTC). The mission is sending a robotic Dragon cargo capsule on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.

About eight minutes after the launch, the first stage of the two-stage Falcon 9 came back to earth, touching down at Space X’s “Landing Zone 1” at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, sitting next door to Kennedy Space Center.

On Wednesday, August 16, 2017, at 6:52 am EDT (10:52 UTC), the uncrewed Dragon Spacecraft was captured by astronauts using International Space Station’s robotic arm-Canadarm2, as the two spacecraft were flying over the Pacific Ocean, just north of New Zealand. The Dragon cargo ship was filled with more than 6,400 lbs (2,900 kg) of supplies, science experiments and food and yes ice cream for the space station’s Expedition 52 crew. After the successful delivery and receiving the “Congratulations on a job well done,” message from astronaut Andreas Morgenson of the European Space Agency being radioed to the station’s crew from NASA’s Mission Control in Houston.Below, U.S. Commercial Cargo Craft (Dragon Spacecraft) arrives at the International Space Station:

Video was taken back in 2012, of the Hatch Opening Between Dragon & ISS (International Space Station), below:

Space X so far has 14 such rocket landings and the company has reflown two landed boosters to date. It is the goal of the company and Elon Musk to develop fully and rapidly reusable systems in order to dramatically reduce the cost of space exploration.

For a view of the International Space Station and how it works, here is a HD documentary of tour inside the International Space Station (ISS) shown by NASA Astronaut Sunita (Suni) Williams. She describes how the station is divided into two pressurized modules, floating to each as she demonstrates scientific instruments, brushes teeth, drinks water and using the bathroom, all in zero gravity. Sunita “Suni” Williams is an American astronaut of Indian-Slovenian descent holding several spacewalking records by a woman, below:

If you think this is pretty cool, enjoy exploring, and like math and sciences, you may like to consider becoming an astronaut some day and/or join the Planetary Society or at Planetary Society!
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker

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As China continues to grow and develop, energy and pollution are important incentives for China to steer toward the renewables at a lightening pace. As solar generation becomes cost-competitive with electricity from fossil fuels, China rolls out the world’s biggest investment in clean energy.

One of the energy firms in China, Panda Green Energy Group Limited (formerly known as the “United Photovoltaics Group Limited”), has come up with an aesthetically pleasing way to promote the development of solar energy by arranging solar panels at a solar farm to resemble the image of China’s national treasure, the panda. Panda Green Energy’s panda solar power plant in a city of Datong in northern Chinese province Shanxi, with capacity of 100 MW once fully connected (some estimated that in 25 years, it would have generated 3.2 billion KWh, reduced 2.74 million tons of carbon emissions or 1.06 million tons of coal throughout China). The solar panda was constructed in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in tackling the problem of need for renewable energy in China. In June of 2017, Panda Green Energy Group Limited announced that its first panda shaped solar power plant (of 50 MW covering 248 acres, with the black part composed of the more efficient monocrystalline silicone and the grey and white part being the thin film solar cells) was officially connected to the grid in Datong, Shanxi.

This panda solar park is set to become a national monument and home to an education center aiming to teach young people from all over China about the importance of renewable energy and sustainable living. According to Reuters, Panda Green Energy is planning on launching more panda-shaped power plants (some estimate about 100 panda-shaped solar power plants), both inside and outside of China.

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

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A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon completely covers the Sun’s disk, as seen in this 1999 solar eclipse. Solar prominences can be seen along the limb (in red) as well as extensive coronal filaments.(Photo Attribution: I, Luc Viatour, Presented at: WindermereSun.com)

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How many of you have “observing a Total Solar Eclipse” on your bucket list? Did you know that a total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, August 21, 2017? It will be visible in totality only within a band across the entire contiguous United States ( covering: Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina). The last time a total solar eclipse was visible across the entire contiguous United States was during the June 8, 1918 eclipse.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s apparent diameter is larger than the Sun’s, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth’s surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometers wide. This eclipse is the 22nd of the 77 members of Saros series 145, which also produced thesolar eclipse of August 11, 1999. Members of this series are increasing in duration. The longest eclipse in this series will occur on June 25, 2522 and last for 7 minutes and 12 seconds.

The total eclipse will have a magnitude of 1.0306 and will be visible from a narrow corridor through the United States. It will be first seen from land in the US shortly after 10:15 a.m. PDT at Oregon’s Pacific coast, and then it will progress eastward through Salem, OR, Casper, WY, Lincoln, NE, Kansas City, Nashville, TN, Columbia, SC, and finally Charleston, SC. Total Solar Eclipse will darken skies all the way from Oregon to South Carolina, along a stretch of land about 70 miles (113 kilometers) wide. People who descend upon this “path of totality” for the big event are in for an unforgettable experience. A partial eclipse will be seen for a greater time period, beginning shortly after 9:00 a.m. PDT along the Pacific Coast of Oregon.

The August 2017 eclipse will be the first with a path of totality crossing the US’s Pacific coast and Atlantic coast since 1918. Also, its path of totality makes landfall exclusively within the United States, making it the first such eclipse since the country’s independence in 1776. (The path of totality of the eclipse of June 13, 1257, was the last to make landfall exclusively on lands currently part of the US.

If you are interested in observing this event (total Solar Eclipse), below, in italics, is excerpt from “Eye Safety During Solar Eclipses” from NASA:

The Sun can be viewed safely with the naked eye only during the few brief seconds or minutes of a total solar eclipse. Partial eclipses, annular eclipses, and the partial phases of total eclipses are never safe to watch without taking special precautions. Even when 99% of the Sun’s surface is obscured during the partial phases of a total eclipse, the remaining photospheric crescent is intensely bright and cannot be viewed safely without eye protection [Chou, 1981; Marsh, 1982]. Do not attempt to observe the partial or annular phases of any eclipse with the naked eye. Failure to use appropriate filtration may result in permanent eye damage or blindness!

Generally, the same equipment, techniques and precautions used to observe the Sun outside of eclipse are required for annular eclipses and the partial phases of total eclipses [Reynolds & Sweetsir, 1995; Pasachoff & Covington, 1993; Pasachoff & Menzel, 1992; Sherrod, 1981]. The safest and most inexpensive of these methods is by projection, in which a pinhole or small opening is used to cast the image of the Sun on a screen placed a half-meter or more beyond the opening. Projected images of the Sun may even be seen on the ground in the small openings created by interlacing fingers, or in the dappled sunlight beneath a leafy tree. Binoculars can also be used to project a magnified image of the Sun on a white card, but you must avoid the temptation of using these instruments for direct viewing.

The Sun can be viewed directly only when using filters specifically designed for this purpose. Such filters usually have a thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver deposited on their surfaces that attenuates ultraviolet, visible, and infrared energy. One of the most widely available filters for safe solar viewing is a number 14 welder’s glass, available through welding supply outlets. More recently, aluminized mylar has become a popular, inexpensive alternative. Mylar can easily be cut with scissors and adapted to any kind of box or viewing device. A number of sources for solar filters are listed below. No filter is safe to use with any optical device (i.e. – telescope, binoculars, etc.) unless it has been specifically designed for that purpose. Experienced amateur and professional astronomers may also use one or two layers of completely exposed and fully developed black-and-white film, provided the film contains a silver emulsion. Since all developed color films lack silver, they are always unsafe for use in solar viewing.

Unsafe filters include color film, some non-silver black and white film, medical x-ray films with images on them, smoked glass, photographic neutral density filters and polarizing filters. Solar filters designed to thread into eyepieces which are often sold with inexpensive telescopes are also dangerous. They should not be used for viewing the Sun at any time since they often crack from overheating. Do not experiment with other filters unless you are certain that they are safe. Damage to the eyes comes predominantly from invisible infrared wavelengths. The fact that the Sun appears dark in a filter or that you feel no discomfort does not guarantee that your eyes are safe. Avoid all unnecessary risks. Your local planetarium or amateur astronomy club is a good source for additional information.

In spite of these precautions, the total phase (and only the total phase) of an eclipse can and should be viewed without filters. It is crucial that you know when to take off and put back on your glasses; see Eye safety during a total solar eclipse

Idaho

Wyoming

Casper, Wyoming – The Astronomical League, an alliance of amateur astronomy clubs, will hold its annual Astrocon conference, and there will be other public events, called Wyoming Eclipse Festival 2017.

Georgia

Rabun County, Georgia – Multiple events occur across Rabun County, including the OutASight Total Solar Eclipse Viewing Party with astronomers from Georgia State University. Other events will be held at Tallulah Gorge State Park, Black Rock Mountain State Park, and other locations in the county.

Europe

In northwestern Europe, the eclipse will only be visible as a partial eclipse, in the evening or at sunset. Only Iceland, Ireland and Scotland will see the eclipse from beginning to end; in the rest of the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal, sunset will occur before the end of the eclipse. In Germany, the beginning of the eclipse will be potentially visible just at sunset only in the extreme northwest of the country. In all regions east of the orange line in the map, the eclipse will be invisible.

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

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Today, I’d like to introduce you to Tony Seba, the Stanford Professor with 20+ years of solid operating experience in fast growing clean tech companies. He was the vice president, corporate development at “Utility Scale Solar, Inc.” where he helped the company grow from the garage-stage through growth strategy, fundraising, business development with plant developers and partners. He was the founder and CEO of PrintNation.com (a B2B ecommerce site which he established as the undisputed leader in its market segment, winning much top industry awards as the Upside Hot 100 and the Forbes.com B2B ‘Best of the Web.’ Seba led two venture capital rounds raising more than $31 million in funding from well-known venture funds, hired a complete management team, 100+ employees, and managed the development of strategic partnerships with some of the world’s top companies.

Tony Seba demonstrates “Why do smart people at smart organizations consistently fail to anticipate or lead market disruptions?” He helps us to understand why so-called experts tend not to be able to correctly make correct forecast about technological disruption. In these cases, the Clean Disruption of Energy & Transportation:

Technology Convergence: disruption caused by the convergence of several technologies, enabling functionalities that may not have existed in the past (2007 for smartphone.

Exponential Market Adoption S-Curve: upon reaching the tipping point, technological disruption would grow exponentially and continue to grow at a steeper rate (growing even more quickly). This phenomenon was/is observed in technologies such as colored tv, smartphones, tablet, and will also be true in solar and EV.

Business Model Innovation: examples such as Uber (started in 2009 and now has more bookings than whole taxi industry in USA), Didi, Lyft, Ola, AirBnb…

Five technologies (below), plus business model innovation will be disrupting, within the coming decade, all of the energy and transportation system as we know it for purely economic reasons. It will be the: Clean Disruption of Energy & Transportation:

Batteries: Li-on battery costs dropping exponentially (cost dropped 14% per year between 1995 – 2010, 16% per year between 2010 – 2014, due to other industries’ (IT, Electronics, Automotive, and Energy) investment). With more investments continue to come from BYD, Foxconn, Samsung SDI, Dyson, and 12+ megafactories coming online by 2020, cost curve, cost will continues to drop about 20% after 2014. Furthermore, the grid works like a just-in-time supply chain without inventory. This inefficient use of assets designed for peak is waiting to be disrupted. NextEra Energy CEO Jim Robo commented, “Post 2020 there may never be another peaker built in the U.S.” In Feb. 2017, Southern California Edison contracted the system to meet PEAK Demand needs using battery technology following its Alyson Canyon natural gas leaks. Tesla’s 80 MWh system was built in 88 days that no natural gas peaker could have competed. There are also business model innovation that treats storage as a service, reducing utility bills by 10%. By 2020, it will cost American families about $1.2 per day for a full day of electricity storage. People will do this because it will save people money, purely for economics.

Electric Vehicles (EV’s): Consumer reports gave Tesla Model S an evaluation of 103 out of possible 100 for Car of the Year in 2013. Electric Vehicle (EV) is 5x more energy efficient than Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). It is also cheaper to transmit/distribute electrons than atoms, therefore EVs are 10x cheaper to charge/fuel than ICE vehicles. EVs are also cheaper to maintain (ICE vehicles have 2000+ moving parts whereas EVs have 18-20 moving parts). EVs lifetime is about 2.5x greater than ICE vehicles. In 2017, GM’s Chevy Bolt EV has 200-mile range and costs $37,500 whereas Tesla Model 3 has 215-mile range and costs $35,000. By 2025, every new vehicles will be of EV.

Autonomous Vehicles: the biggest disrupter. The World’s first self-driving taxi debuted in Singapore in 2016. Uber’s self-driving fleet arrived in Pittsburgh in August of 2016. 33 corporations are investing billions and working on autonomous vehicles. Tesla also announced that by the end of 2017, all Tesla vehicles can go from CA to NY without needing human controls (level 3). Elon Musk also said that Tesla will be able to transition to level 5 (fully self-driving, no pedals nor steering wheel) in 2019. Two technologies making autonomous vehicles possible: 1. LIDAR (laser+radar) price dropped from about $70,000 in 2012 to $1,000 in 2014, and $250 in 2016, and soon to be $90. 2. Super computing power priced at $46 million in 2000, $59 in 2016. These technologies are improving at 1,000x in the next 8 years. Open source is also responsible much of the growth in the future.

Ride-Hailing:“Transportation As A Service” initiated from a think tank founded by Tony Seba, a disruption of transportation. Reason behind this concept: most American family spend about $10,000 to own and use a car per year that is only used about 4% of the time. Disruption: 1. electric vehicles 2. self-driving 3. ride-hailing. These are convergence of multiple business and technology models. The day the regulatory agency approves the autonomous vehicle is the day when the cost of per mile transport will be 10x cheaper for transport as a service than it is to own a car for consumers. Consumers will be giving up car ownership and henceforth the collapse of ownership of ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles and IO (individual ownership) of vehicles. Therefore there will be 80% fewer cars on the road, parking lots, and insurance for vehicles. Annual demand for new vehicles will also decrease by 70% and demand for oil will also decrease by 2021 (around the time when oil costs about $25 per barrel).

Solar: example: Denmark’s Copenhagen International School generating 50% of its power need from solar (even the side of the building is part of this solar power plant). Solar PV cost dropped from $100./W in 1970’s to $0.33/W now. This is about 303x improvement. Globally, solar installations have doubled every 2 years since 2000. At the time of Tony Seba’s presentation, solar represented 1.5% of the power generation (it is now about 2%). If we use the 1.5% to calculate, at the doubling rate every 2 years (1.5%, 3%, 6%, 12%, 24%, 48%, 96%), it would only take 6-7 doublings (or 12-14 years) to reach 100% of the world’s energy generation (around 2030). Since 1970’s, the price or cost all conventional resource-based energy sources (such as oil, natural gas, or coal) have gone up by 6x-16x while solar has gone down by 303x. The cost of solar will continue to drop. According to Deutsche Bank, solar will be below Grid Parity for 80% of the global market by the end of 2017, meaning 80% of the solar world market will be at or below utility rate. According to PWC, 69% of corporations (Apple, Facebook, etc.) are actively pursuing solar purchase because it makes economic sense to go solar. Solar growth rate will accelerate. By 2020, it is expected that the cost of rooftop solar will cost less than the cost of transmission, without any subsidy for solar. Central generation will be obsolete. There will be no other form of energy generation that will be cheaper than “solar+storage”. By 2020, it is expected that the solar growth rate will really take off. Utility scale solar will drop below 3 cents per kWh (nothing will be able to compete with solar at 3 cents per kWh). Solar at 5.8 cents per kWh is competitive with oil at $10 per barrel and gas at $5 per MMBtu. In 2016, solar costed: in Chile was at 2.91 cents per kWh (unsubsidized) & Dubai at 2.99 cents per kWh. In 2016 Dubai PPA at 2.42 cents per kWh (unsubsidized). Tucson Electric has just announced that Solar+Storage PPA at 4.5 cents per kWh. It no longer makes sense to build peaker plants when solar generation costs so much less. Distributed solar, due to economics, will make sense and will become the rule. In Australia, 25% of the homes are already using solar (it costs 12 cents for transmission while solar cost 7 cents to generate in Australia)

Economics is already here: Unsubsidized Solar & Autonomous EVs are No Longer the Transition but Disruption For Our Energy & Transportatioin! Tipping point will be around 2020.

Besides pure economics, think of the: decrease in pollution, slowing in climate change, decrease in international conflicts, and increase in local job opportunities as a result of these disruptions! Bravo For Clean Disruptions!

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

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Four days after President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, the top American official in China, David Rank, tendered his resignation, citing the president’s decision. Rank, who served 27 years in the foreign service, sits down with Judy Woodruff in his first interview since stepping down.

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

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“Pittsburgh, Not Paris” Rally has caused much controversy in Pittsburgh.

Mayor Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh has issued an executive order in response to Trump’s Paris Climate Decision (withdrawing United States from the Paris Climate Agreement), pledging Pittsburgh (one of the 82 mayors and 10 governors across U.S.A.) would continue to follow the guidelines of the Paris Climate Agreement (aka Paris Accord).

Peduto Executive Order (2030 Objectives)

100% Renewable Electricity (City operations)

Zero Waste (Citywide)

Reduce Energy Consumption 50% (Citywide)

Reduce Transportation Emissions 50% (Citywide)

Pittsburgh has set an example as the model city that, it is possible, from innovation and change through sustainability, to bring back the economy.

After a week of reporting on Trump affairs, I really have to thank Dave Finnigan (of jugglingedge.com) for bringing to my attention a much more refreshing topic, a solar powered, quiet, clean, and efficient mass transit system, developed by Transit X.

Can you envision our future world, where commuters would have access to wait-free, pollution-free, and accidents-free commute, 24/7 available, autopiloted within cities, beside highways, and along rail corridors? It is a privately-funded surface transportation network with the convenience, capacity, and cost that would offer much relief for our current buses, trains, cars, trucks, and short flights. With our current earthly population of over 7 billion, growing toward 9 billion, we will be needing much help with our current transporting system. Transit X pods may be the perfect solution for our 21st century transportation network, beyond what the Jestsons sic-fi cartoon offers, by having its autopilot feature and seating from one to five. It would also be a great way to help reduce the rate of climate change.

About three weeks ago, Mike Stanley was here in Central Florida to give a demonstration/talk about Transit X, for Osceola County Commissioner Transportation meeting, Orlando City Commissioner (of District 4) Patty Sheehan, and Orlando City Director of Sustainability Chris Castro. Subsequently, Dave Finnigan gave a two minute presentation to Metropolitan Orlando about Transit X, and also briefed Carolyn Fennell (of Airport Authority), Nicole Liquori (CEO of Sunrail), Eric Johnson (CEO of Lynx), and Laura Kelley (Director of Central Florida Expressway Authority) about Transit X.

Allow me to share a blueprint of the Florida Transit X Way, below:

Florida Transit X (credit: Transit X)

While we anxiously await for the first Transit X pods to be running in MA by the end of 2018, innovators, solar enthusiasts, and potential investors of Central Florida and other parts of the world are strongly encouraged to get in touch with Mike or Dave Stanley, via:

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Below, is a repost from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun.

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Pope Francis since March 13, 2013

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On Wednesday, May 24, 2017, President Trump had the opportunity of meeting the Pope Francis in person, later stating the meeting being “honor of a life time“.

One thing one can say about Trump: he is not rigid. About a year ago, the Pope Francis commented that Candidate Trump’s call to build a wall (instead of a bridge) is not Christian. Trump respond angrily, saying “for a religious leader, to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.” But today, the Pope Francis and President Trump met each other with open hand shake. Pope gave Trump his encyclical, where he makes a passionate case for fighting climate change. At meetings today, the Vatican urged Trump not to drop out of the Paris Accord/Paris Agreement on climate change. President Trump promised to consider Pope’s request and said, “I won’t forget what you said.” Let’s hope that President Trump was truly moved by Pope Francis and will reconsider his position regarding climate change. Thank you, Pope, for being persuasive and helping the planet earth.

VOTE “NO” ON AMENDMENT 1 IN NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION

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I originally planned on posting another topic today, but after a short discussion on Amendment 1 of Florida with some people I’ve just met at NEC (National Entrepreneurship Center) , I would like to remind our fellow Sunshine Staters/Floridians that we have serious responsibility in assuring the growth and development of Solar Industry (utility scale as well as distributed solar) here in Florida, for solar energy is the solution to not just for the energy crisis but also environmental pollution, international conflicts, and climate change. Given that state of Florida is frequently visited by hurricanes, we need to insure the development of distributed solar (solar rooftops). Therefore, it is utmost important that we should Vote “NO” on Amendment 1 ! For further explanations as to why we should vote “NO” on amendment 1, please refer to one of my earlier posts, Vote “NO” On Amendment 1 In November!!!

To better understand the need of urgency for our earthly transition toward renewables, I’d like to share some videos below:

Yes, I believe that once each individual is out of the fog of confusion, he/she will choose the right way in helping to reach the solution. In this case, quick transition to renewables such as Solar and Wind Energy is what we should all aim for. Remember to share with your fellow neighbors, family members, friends, to Vote “NO” On Amendment 1 and be more conscious of how you live and how you vote. For such actions would help to determine the survival of millions of our fellow earthlings.

I’ve received quite a few response from this post through various social media, mostly positive and supportive. But there were few responses that are not supportive. I appreciate those who are on the opposing side to take the time to respond because it helps me to better understand where their belief came from. For example, one of the opposing side remarked below (in italics):

1. Looks, via net metering, non solar folks are having to pay for all the grid upkeep. Solar users pay nothing. You somehow say that not receiving this large subsidy is unfair. Not penalizing others so you can sell your product that can’t stand on it’s own is some how bad? You better learn to stand on your own. We are sick of holding you up.

My response: Firstly, I am not selling any solar product nor services and there is no discussion about subsidy here. I am simply a conscientious American and Floridian who cares about the planet earth and fellow Floridians and would like to see Homo Sapiens to occupy this planet for as long as possible and as few Floridians to become homeless as possible. If insisting on Floridian solar installers to pay extra fees (under Amendment 1), it would encourage solar users to go completely off grid. This would increase more difficulty for the grid (because if more solar users are connected to the grid the more they can help to relieve the grid pressure and reduce the cost or need of additional power plants to be build…this would help to reduce the utility cost for every one!) So, it would be wise for utility and Floridians to try to entice solar users to be connected to the grid rather than implementing measures to encourage them to go off grid. In terms of fairness, I believe it is not fair to have legislation to insist that you pay for the mortgage or rent of your neighbors when you are not using the house of your neighbors. This is the issue that is being addressed: why should solar users pay for the grid if they are not using it? It would be much wiser for every one to treat one another fairly, because only under sphere of fairness, cooperation is more likely to occur. This is why we need our regulatory agency to conduct research on Fair Value of Solar: http://windermeresun.com/2016/09/08/we-need-fair-value-of-solar-not-amendment-1/

2. This is pure crack. For all you fear mongers, how can you change the climate? The change in climate is normal and has been doing so for billion of years since the world was created. nothing can be done to change it, GOD’s CREATION IS PERFECT!!!

My response: It is the rate (how fast) of change that we are addressing because when it changes too quickly, human beings are not able to respond fast enough;therefore you end up having frequent flooding in Miami and some of the island countries are in the process of disappearing (so they have to look for homes for their people), as Floridian coastal residents….As for changing the climate: did you know that scientists can already modify/change weather conditions? The dramatic increase in CO2 emission is one of the main contributing factors to increased rate of climate change and global warming. The CO2 emission is due to human activity and our standard of living. So, it is our responsibility to try to slow down this rate of change if we care at all about our fellow human being (the poor in Africa, Asia, Europe, and USA/Florida). For it is the poor who will be paying the price of the wealthy who can afford to easily move to a different location. The irony is: it is those of us in the wealthy developed nations that have contributed the most to increased rate of climate change. Don’t you think your God would want you to help your fellow human being, by slowing down the climate change and be fair to all ?

3. The worst hurricane and flooding in Miami was 1926 when over 6,000 people were killed. Miami Beach is subsiding due to pumping out trillions of gallons of water over the last century. Sea level has risen about 9″ in each of the last 3 centuries and is not increasing no matter what AlGore is telling you. All of the alarmist are making dire predictions that never happen. James Hansen, the Father of Global Warming predicted in 1988 that in 25 years, Manhattan Island would be under water. That was 2013 and the actual sea level went up several inches. Did you know that most of Manhattan is lower than most of Florida. The US has not been struck with a major (Cat 3 hurricane or higher) in over 4,000 days. Media hype used by people who make their living from global warming. 18,000 years ago (a wink in geologic time), sea level was 270 feet lower than now and Florida was 900 miles wide. Chicago and NY were covered with over a mile of ice. Global warming has been going on in spits and starts since then and the notion that man kind is increasing the rate is not proven. Fear mongering is used to sell stuff by agenda driven people.

My response: I have been an engineer and a math professor for over 20 years. I am not selling any solar product or services, just a conscientious American and Floridian who felt compelled to try my best to help my fellow human being on planet earth by slowing down the climate change via advocating for solar energy and modifying my life style. If Amendment 1 is passed, it will very likely be able to destroy solar industry in Florida. Yes, climate has always been changing, but now we are particularly concerned about its rate (how fast) of change that will potentially be increasing the frequency of hurricanes (such as that of 1926). We had just been visited by Hurricane Matthew (up to Category 5 at certain parts of FL) within the last month. You need to view this film by Leonardo DiCaprio, explaining much about the issue of climate change, encouraged by Pope and UN and various scientific communities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90CkXVF-Q8M To give hope and optimism for our future generations, we need to play an active part in helping to slow down the climate change and encourage the growth of solar/renewable energy industries.If you are not afraid of truth and reality, you need to see this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90CkXVF-Q8M

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Dear Friends & Neighbors,

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I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for Florida to welcome Solar Energy into our state!!!Then Vote “NO” on Amendment 1 in November!!! Reasons are explained in the posts and videos in the two posts below (please click & view):

This article contains material that would help to explain why Amendment 1 is anti-solar: Amendment 1 May Block Out The Sun (Similar measure in Amendment 1 has already destroyed solar industry in the state of Nevada. We do not want a repeat of what happened in Nevada here in Florida!!!)

Amendment 1 part (a) promises the right Floridians already possess (the right to own or lease solar equipments on their property) but prevents Floridians from selling any excess solar energy produced to be sold to others outside of the property owner. Amendment 1 part (b) may potentially allow utilities to create another fee to be charged to solar installation owners or solar power users even if these solar power users are not customers of the utilities. So a votes of “yes” on Amendment 1 would: a. establish constitutional right rather than keep it statutory. b. eliminate free market potential for electricity c. create assumption that solar power users are subsidized by utility customers. Passing Amendment 1 would potentially destroy the solar businesses in Florida (as a similar measure did in Nevada).

Especially after the recent visit from Hurricane Matthew, it is critical for us to promote both utility scale and distributed solar throughout our state and our U.S.A.! This is not only for the fact that Florida needs to live up to its name sake, The Sunshine State, but the fact that much of our state revenues depend on tourism, and therefore our air and water quality plays an important part of our state’s income. Furthermore, the climate change or warming of our planet earth would speed up the process of our disappearing coastal cities (esp. Miami). This is another reason why Florida should make strong effort in supporting solar energy to flourish, to slow down the climate change and warming of our planet. Don’t forget the fact that solar energy is the source of energy that cannot be exclusively possessed by few nations on earth. Therefore widespread use of solar energy would prevent potential warfare among nations for the sake of fuel. Finally, it is undeniable that we are progressing toward the Clean/Renewable Energy Future, whether the politicians like it or not. The sooner our politicians accept this fact and learn to adapt to the Clean/Renewable Energy Age, the better off we all will be, in terms of state economy, business, individual standard of living, and our beautiful environment of state of Florida .

Therefore, it is particularly frustrating that my and your dollars spent on our utility bills are being spent on promotion for something that will potentially destroy the solar industry in Florida, the Amendment 1! So, please bear with me for continuing to post about Amendment 1, reminding Floridians to VOTE NO ON AMENDMENT 1 IN NOVEMBER !!! I may not have multi-million dollar advertising budget, but I do have Windermere Sun….so, let’s help our beloved Florida to be worthy of its name sake by spreading this message of need to Vote “NO” on Amendment 1 in November ! We don’t want the solar growth and solar industry to be destroyed as it did in Nevada by a similar measure in Amendment 1.

If you care about The Sunshine State and would like to insure our worthiness of this name, want to see solar industry and economy to flourish in Florida, forever be able to enjoy our wonderful air quality, and usher Florida into the Clean/Renewable Energy Age, VOTE NO ON AMENDMENT 1 IN NOVEMBER !!! Because……